1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to casino roulette games. More specifically, the present invention relates to games of chance that use vertical or horizontal roulette wheels.
2. The Relevant Technology
The general concept of the roulette wheel having a large number of wheel sections has been known for some time. Each of the wheel sections typically corresponds to a unique number or other indicia. Various wheel sections can also correspond to different groupings, such as by color, odd or even numbering, or the like. Standard roulette game rules generally permit players to place wagers on one or more of the sections of the wheel, with various wagering combinations also being permitted based on the wheel section groupings.
After wagers have been placed, the wheel is spun and one of the wheel sections is randomly selected by an indicator. This is generally done in one of two ways, depending on the orientation of the wheel. For horizontally inclined wheels, a ball is introduced to the spinning wheel and randomly selects a pocket associated with one of the wheel sections. For vertically oriented wheels, a pointer is used to gradually slow down the wheel and randomly point to one of the wheel sections when the wheel comes to a stop.
Once a wheel section has been randomly selected, winnings are paid to the players that have correctly wagered on the selected wheel section or one of the groupings that includes the selected wheel section. All losing wagers are forfeited to the house and new wagers are then placed for the next spin of the wheel.